On Wednesday, October 29, Carles Donat, co-director of the O-HB, shared the findings of the latest quarterly monitoring report on the ZMRT of Barcelona. The Rent Regulation Working Group session took place at 4 p.m. at the headquarters of the Barcelona Housing Consortium (Dr. Aiguader, 24). The report provides context for the rent regulation that came into effect on March 16, 2024, impacting 140 municipalities in Catalonia, including the city of Barcelona, and tracks the evolution of ZMRT indicators during the first quarter of 2025.
Key findings from the report include:
- Decrease in average rental price: the average price of new rental contracts dropped by 8.9% over the past year, from €1,193.4 to €1,087.2 per month. The districts with the largest reductions were Gràcia (−13.3%) and Ciutat Vella (−12.8%).
- Reduction in the gap between income and rental prices: for the first time in a decade, the gap between average household income and average rental price has narrowed by 11.9 points, reaching 78.6.
- Stabilization in the number of new contracts: 7,615 new rental contracts were registered with INCASÒL in Barcelona, representing a 0.5% decrease compared to the previous quarter.
- Increase in seasonal rentals: new seasonal rental contracts rose by 62% in one year, from 1,449 to 2,347, possibly in response to rent regulation.
- Positive balance of active contracts: despite supply constraints, the balance between new and terminated contracts remains positive (+423), showing a moderated increase in the number of active rental contracts.
Every six months, the Barcelona Housing Consortium holds a session of the Rent Regulation Working Group to analyze the evolution of ZMRT indicators. These indicators are compiled by the Barcelona Metropolitan Housing Observatory (O-HB) in quarterly reports that track the rental market in the city. This semi-annual working space is key to sharing knowledge among administrations and stakeholders, and to guiding public housing policies in a context of active rental market regulation.
